Why Choose Study Abroad in Santiago, Chile?

More than 50% of students who study abroad during college choose Europe as their destination. Why buck the trend and take the road less traveled? The question was posed to three students fresh off a plane from the U.S. as they were spending some of their first hours in Santiago, Chile. Here’s what they said …

Sheila A. is a senior at Bentley College studying business management with a focus on global diversity, social, and liberal studies. She chose to spend her first block on the Open Campus program in Santiago for two reasons:

Well, the first reason was because my advisor strongly encouraged me to do so. I’m going to do one block here in Santiago and then the next block in Buenos Aires and have a comparative look at the two countries – they’re side-by-side, but really different. The second reason was that I didn’t really know much about Chile – and I’m really interested in learning more.

Ryan B. is a senior at Texas Lutheran University studying social entrepreneurship. He’s planning to spend two blocks in Santiago, and the third block in Buenos Aires. His rationale was a bit different:

I loved the idea of Open Campus and going to multiple locations to learn Spanish in different cultures. In the future, I can see myself working and traveling a lot in Europe, so I chose Latin America. Not only because of the stunning natural environment, but because it definitely takes me outside my comfort zone. 

Noah W. is a junior at University of Colorado Boulder majoring in international affairs with a minor in business. He’s spending one block in Santiago, then two blocks in Buenos Aires. He’s then spending spring semester on the Open Campus Block program at our Global Institutes in Cape Town, Madrid, and London. Here’s why he’s kicking off his year-long adventure in Santiago: 

I knew I wanted to improve my Spanish, and I loved the idea of multiple campus options. And Latin America was on my list of places to go – I’m really excited about the culture and food and to experience South America.

Where will the Open Campus Block program take you?